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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. press — to push
  10. roll — a list
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chest — a box
  14. staff — employees
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. staff — employees
  21. chest — of your body
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. straw — dry grass

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com